John performed the whole of Solid Air in the Don’t Look Back Series of concerts at the Barbiacn Centre in London on 11 September 2006 (his 58th birthday).

Don’t Look Back is a yearly series of concerts in which London based promoters All Tomorrow’s Parties ask artists and bands to play one of their seminal albums live in its entirety.

The event programme in so far as it relates to John is reproduced here.

John Martyn
Solid Air (Island)

“I got bored with the folk / acoustic thing,” said John Martyn. “You can’t keep churning that out, it stifles innovation, kills the personal touch.” Solid Air was certainly a personal album for Martyn, and certainly it was innovative. A moody masterpiece, it blends folk, rock and jazz into a heady and evocative mixture, and marks the point at which Martyn finally wrestled free from his folkie origins into altogether more interesting territory.

The atmospheric title track was written as a tribute to Martyn’s friend and Island label-mate Nick Drake, who by this point was already in the grip of the depression which 18 months later would claim his life. “Nick was a beautiful man,” said Martyn, “by walking on solid air, helpless in this dirty business, an innocent abroad.” The song itself makes full use of Danny Thompson’s sliding bass and the delicate wash of vibes and drifting sax…

However, the album contains a wealth of other great tracks, not least the valedictory “May You Never”, which remains a staple of many folk club repertoires to this day… Martyn was also becoming increasingly interested in the use of echo and fuzz effects to enhance his signature snapping guitar sound, applying them to great effect on a cover of Skip James “I’d Rather by the Devil”. Elsewhere, songs such as “Over the Hill” and “The Man in the Station” dealt with themes of separation and loss, the latter casting a weary eye over the lot of the traveling musician. Solid Air was a major hit from Martyn… further great albums followed… but Solid Air remains the one the critics – and fans – keep coming back to.

John Martyn will be performing Solid Air on Monday 11th September 2006 at The Barbican. With support from Bat For Lashes.
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y SDS.